


trade your heroes for ghosts

by thorbiased



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt Thor, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, Thor Needs a Hug, graphic descriptions of wounds, its not too bad but just being careful, post-thor:ragnarok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27066310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thorbiased/pseuds/thorbiased
Summary: “Heimdall,” he said softly, not wanting the words to cross his lips just yet. “Where are Sif and the Warriors Three?”Heimdall’s hand stilled. His gaze dropped to his lap, and for the first time, Thor could see how old his oldest friend looked. There was a weariness in those golden eyes that he’d never noticed before. Maybe it was a new addition. Something told Thor that it wasn’t.Heimdall tells Thor of the Warriors Three’s fates.
Relationships: Fandral & Hogun & Sif & Thor & Volstagg, Thor & Heimdall, Thor/Brunnhilde | Valkyrie (mentioned)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 33





	trade your heroes for ghosts

**Author's Note:**

> One day I’ll write something that isn’t sad. That day’s not today. Sorry.

It didn’t occur to him until too late that something was missing. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, his feet firmly planted to keep him from slipping. The ache in his bones begged him to lie down, but Heimdall had insisted on tending to his wounds. Thus, Heimdall knelt in front of him, gently cleaning the blood from his eye. 

Thor’s chest tightened with the sudden realization that Heimdall would know what happened. The question swirled in his head, banging on the sides of his skull like a car on a slick highway. His stomach turned, but the words came anyway. 

“Heimdall,” he said softly, not wanting the words to cross his lips just yet. “Where are Sif and the Warriors Three?” 

Heimdall’s hand stilled. His gaze dropped to his lap, and for the first time, Thor could see how _old_ his oldest friend looked. There was a weariness in those golden eyes that he’d never noticed before. Maybe it was a new addition. Something told Thor that it wasn’t. 

“Sif was exiled by Loki shortly before I was,” he explained, bringing the pinkish rag back to Thor’s cheek. 

Thor hissed at the contact. He was lucky Hela had stopped at his eye. The wench was known to hack off entire limbs with those blades. 

“I can see her now. She’s safe.”

The pressure in his chest lessened slightly, but Heimdall was not finished. 

“Are you sure you want to know, Thor? Knowledge is a heavy burden.” 

Thor believed him, of course, but if his friends were gone and he hadn’t been beside them when they left, he wanted to know. “I do.”

“Hela killed Fandral and Volstagg quickly,” Heimdall said, his voice barely above a whisper. Thor’s breathing quickened, and his throat tightened with tears. They’d fall soon, but for now he held them back. “They tried to stop her from entering Asgard, but they were unprepared. Hogun put up a longer fight. He was the last of our men standing during the first attack. They all fought with honor.” 

Thor’s head dropped as a sob made his shoulders shake. Heimdall just wrapped his arms around him. For now, like many times before, they were not king and guardian, they were brothers in arms who had lost too much. 

“This never should’ve happened,” Thor cried, balling the back of Heimdall’s shirt into a fist. 

“No.” 

“I should’ve been beside them,” he said, shaking his head. That was how it was always supposed to be. They fought together. They were always supposed to die together. He let them down, and he would never forgive himself for that. “She never should’ve gotten past me.” 

“You can’t think like that, my boy,” Heimdall said, rubbing his back. “I’ve seen enough to know that I’ve watched countless men fight against things they cannot change until they went mad.” 

Thor sighed and dragged the back of his hand across his face. He winced at the contact with his injured eye. “I’d rather be mad than feel this pain.” 

Heimdall brought the rag back to Thor’s cheek. Hela’s sword hadn’t cut as deep as they feared. Still, it would leave a scar, which was rare for Asgardians. “They wouldn’t want you to do this to yourself.”

“Nor would Odin, or Frigga, or the countless others we’ve lost,” Thor muttered, “How are we supposed to endure this? At some point, will we just _break_? Will I?” 

“You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Asgard is, too. This will not break us.” 

Heimdall reached into the box of haphazard medical supplies they’d been able to gather and fished out the one strip of bandage left. Thor has insisted on being treated last, even if his injuries were arguably the worst. Heimdall would have used this to further prove his point, but Thor didn’t need to be argued to. He needed to be listened to. 

“I hope you’re right,” he said, frowning. 

Heimdall reached into his pocket and pulled out a grey and gold disk and held it up between them. “You’re lucky we found this. Otherwise your coronation would be kind of disgusting.” 

Thor chuckled. “Is it that bad? I haven’t seen a mirror yet.”

“You’re still handsome enough. Perhaps the Valkyrie will not shudder at the sight of you,” Heimdall assured him. Thor blushed. Was it obvious, the way he looked at her? The way she looked at him?

Heimdall resumed packing his wound with gauze, then covered that with the eyepatch. He brushed his thumb across Thor’s cheek. “You look like him.”

Thor sighed. Maybe a decade ago it would’ve been a compliment, now it just left a bad taste in his mouth. “He was not who I thought he was.” 

“No,” Heimdall said. He stood to his feet and pulled Thor up alongside him. “But, you don’t have to be like him.” 

“I saw him, you know?” Thor said, limping as Heimdall led him to the corridor. “When i was fighting Hela, I think...she nearly killed me. I saw Odin. He told me I was stronger than him.”

“He was right,” Heimdall said, “You are much stronger than him. You feel so deeply because you care. Odin didn’t.” 

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Thor whispered as they got closer to the crowd. His stomach was in knots. “

“You can.” 

Thor swallowed. Tears stung his remaining eye. “I wish they were here. They should be here.” 

Heimdall wrapped his arm around Thor’s shoulders. “Aye, they should,” he said. They could hear the people now. They were waiting on their king. “Honor their memories by keeping their home alive. It’s what they died for.”

Thor stood up a little straighter. “I swear,” he said, with the conviction of a vow. The echoes of those same words rang in his head. Another coronation, another time. They were there, then; they would be with him now. 

“Then, my boy, Asgard is waiting.” 


End file.
